BMW

3 Things you should know before working on a BMW

Posted on by bogdan
13
Nov

Recently I have changed from Audi to BMW and I found myself in a unfamiliar place. All was new to me…

Where should I start, where should you start?

Hi, I am Bogdan and these are the 3 Things you should know before working on a BMW.

1.It all starts with the VIN and the EngineCode…

At number 1, like you might already guessed, you need to know your EngineCode … and for that you need you VIN to use in something called a VIN decoder.

So long story short, open you bonnet, snap a photo of the VIN (should be on the right side) and go to www.bimmer.work. There you will input the last 7 characters of the VIN and there you go, you have the EngineCode and lots of useful information about all the systems installed on your car.

It is crazy that the guys at www.bimmer.work are able to give you also pictures with how you car looks like with it’s factory level of options (exterior and interior).

If by any reason that link does not work for you, google BMW VIN Decoder and you should find another website that will help you in finding the EngineCode.

2.What about some BMW Workshop Manuals and Wiring Diagrams…

Don’t panic, save that panic for when you really work on your car, there is no need for paying crazy money, or installing some dodgy hacked software for this information. Just go to www.newTIS.info.

It is free access, you just need to use the last 7 characters of the VIN, and after that start reading all the BMW specific goodness.

At newtis.info you will find:

  • step by step instructions
  • maintenance procedures and intervals
  • descriptions of how systems work
  • component location
  • torque values
  • and much more …

… just take the time to research the job that you plan on doing.

3.How can you order parts…

Sooner or later, you will need to order something, that is how this game goes. You buy a car, you wait 1 week, one month,maybe 1 year and after that you start changing things …

This is where www.realOEM.com will help you.

I find it very useful to:

  • get a general view of how things are assembled
  • find out what function they do (based on there name)
  • shop around for parts outside of the BMW dealerships
  • get ideas for upgrades and retrofits

To sum things up…

I hope that this information helps. You can follow along my BMW owning experience on the BestCarMods YouTube Channel. All the best,
Bogdan

bogdan